Rural Press

J.B Fairfax will hold the dominant shareholding

Twenty years after losing control of their family media company, the Fairfax family has secured the dominant shareholding in a $7.7 billion merger between Fairfax Media and Rural Press

Fairfax will offer a cash and scrip merger proposal for the entire issued capital of Rural Press and the combined business will have a market value of over $7.7 billion.

The merger positions the combined business to take advantage of rapid growth in online media, the companies said, although in percentage terms the forecast for digital revenues actual declines.

Fairfax Media and Rural Press are to merge and create Australasia's largest integrated metropolitan, regional and rural print and digital media business, the companies said.

Fairfax will offer a cash and scrip merger proposal for the entire issued capital of Rural Press and the combined business will have a value of over $9 billion.

The merger would positions the combined business to take advantage of rapid growth in online media, the companies said.